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Synonym Chooser

How is the word avid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of avid are anxious, athirst, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

When might anxious be a better fit than avid?

Although the words anxious and avid have much in common, anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

Where would athirst be a reasonable alternative to avid?

The meanings of athirst and avid largely overlap; however, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

When could eager be used to replace avid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avid, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

When is it sensible to use keen instead of avid?

The synonyms keen and avid are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avid All around the house, because my parents and older brother were avid readers, too. Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025 Her obituary stated that Halbach was also a volleyball coach and an avid traveler. Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025 Not only is her pick from the beloved legacy brand a staple in vanities everywhere, but the shade itself has its share of avid fans. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025 The study underscores the need for better and more targeted public health messaging, particularly to address misconceptions held by avid drinkers. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avid
Adjective
  • The evil-doing in question is simple enough, at least for a franchise that has always been built around the existence of a clandestine organization of magicians (The Eye) who love using their skills to take down bad guys and quite literally share the wealth with their eager audiences.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Ghana has been one of the first countries to make major Article 6 sales, and some other African nations are eager to follow, Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s special climate envoy, told Semafor.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Obama’s enthusiastic showings for both candidates was a test of whether his sway over the Democratic Party still remains after his support for Harris failed to boost her to the White House a year ago and angered black male voters who felt unfairly accused of sexism.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Thornton did not respond to our request for comment on this story, but IndieWire found proof of public interactions Bolea had with the actor, positioning them as enthusiastic supporters of each other’s work at a time when love for Art the Clown was spreading quickly.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • To be clear, most of the blame for this climate crisis goes to the greedy fossil fuel executives and big agriculture executives, their greenwashing PR firms, and the politicians in their pockets.
    Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.
    David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • No pretending to be too cool to be excited, just vibing and living in the moment.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Now Lomax is excited for future opportunities to work with other brands.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The mercenary group for years propped up militant groups and authoritarian regimes in the Sahel in exchange for mineral resources — including huge concessions in Sudan’s gold mining industry.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Reuters reported in April 2019 that Prince had been shopping a plan to topple the Maduro regime using mercenary soldiers.
    Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The book, ardent yet measured, is unsentimental in a way few show-business bios are.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The healthy-dose of cheese in this recipe will convert even the most ardent broccoli hater.
    Patricia S York, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Harlan has an avaricious family, each member of which has something to gain from his death.
    Anna Russell, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
  • What Netanyahu wants is not this peace deal or avaricious annexations, but to stay in power.
    Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His keen playful writing combines magical realism, genre-busting humor, literary zip—and there are few people better suited to adapting Wilder than Ethan Lipton.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Zoo Miami also boasts Ron Magill, whose Walk on the Wild events featuring educational segments, animal encounters and keen eye for photography continue to draw audiences.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Avid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avid. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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